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Keep the coffee flowing.

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Endless coffee beans, the real American Dream. 

POSTAL BLOOM COFFEE

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Postal Bloom is excited to present June's featured coffee roaster, MiddleState Coffee. Based in the back of Steadbrook, a small retail clothing store located in downtown Denver, Jay Louis DeRose and Dustin Roderick Pace roast and bag amazing specialty coffee.  At first, Jay and Dustin were coffee brewing rivals in the Denver area. They eventually decided to partner up in hopes to push the envelope of locally roasted specialty coffee.

Both Dustin and Jay started from the bottom of the coffee industry. Dustin manned a small coffee kiosk in the front of a bike shop, while Jay pulled shots behind a coffee bar of a more established coffee shop. They both fell in deep with coffee and haven't seemed to look back.

Dustin had begun developing Steadbrook with some friends when he had the conversation with Jay about maybe opening their own roastery. They weren't very happy with the coffee scene in Denver, at the time, and they wanted to do coffee their own way. Dustin moved forward with Steadbrook and the empty room in the back turned into the perfect place to put MiddleState's coffee roaster. They hadn't planned on opening the roastery quite yet, but when Steadbrook's space became available, it pushed them to dive right in.

Early on, Jay and Dustin set up pretty tight guidelines when it came to coffee buying accounts. They didn't want to sacrifice their integrity to just make a sale. They have tried to grow organically and thoughtfully by only picking accounts that seem to do their coffee justice. These principles have really helped them along the way and have kept them happy as a company.

They have now partnered with Little Owl Coffee, MiddleState's coffee being brewed in their shop exclusively. MiddleState didn't really have a flagship store and Little Owl was looking to make a change. According to Jay, this partnership has really allowed MiddleState to become the coffee company they wanted to be. They now have the capacity to source and buy some really unique coffees, that otherwise, would have been much harder for MiddleState to purchase.

“Beyond coffee we try not to take ourselves too serious. We believe coffee is best served with a a good sense of humor and a smile.”

Aside from coffee, Dustin is a photographer and soon-to-be father. When talking about the business, he said "It feels really good to watch something grow. I'm about to be a dad and I feel like that is going to be the same thing - watching something grow into its own thing. That's really exciting to me." Jay spends his time outside of the roastery on his old motorcycle or a skateboard. He seems to be a really passionate dude, who really gets sucked into whatever he picks up - whether it's skateboarding, his motorcycle or even coffee. Dustin and Jay are two really inspiring individuals and we are proud to feature their coffee in this month's subscription.

Explore specialty coffee monthly, right at your door step.

www.postalbloom.com

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Postal Bloom Presents - Kalita Wave Brew Guide 

The Kalita Wave has become a favorite brewing device in our household. It is set up a little different than a traditional pour over dripper, in that it has a flat bottom rather than a cone. This allows for a nice body and more even extraction. This brew recipe was adapted from our friends over at Mariposa Coffee Roastery. If you haven't tried their coffee yet, you can pick up one of their 12oz bags in our online store here... Mariposa Coffee

Alright, lets begin!

To get started, you will need the following:

Kalita Wave dripper (we use the 2-4 cup dripper) Kalita Wave paper filters Coffee Hot water kettle (gooseneck preferred) Measuring scale Coffee grinder Timer This recipe brews a 10oz cup of coffee.

STEP 1

You will first want to get your hot water heating. Bring the water to a boil or to around 206° F. Ideally you'll want to start brewing at 196° F. By heating to 206° F, the water will cool while you get through the first few steps.

Use the hot water to rinse your paper filter. We like to pour directly into the center of the filter, letting the water rise about 3/4 to the top. This wets and cleans the filter without ruining its shape. If the shape is compromised, you may end up with an uneven coffee extraction. Let the water drain completely through, either into your coffee cup or some sort of server. Discard the water once the rinse is complete.

STEP 2

Next, you will want to weigh and grind your coffee beans. Weigh the beans to 18 grams and proceed to grind. The grind coarseness can be subjective, but somewhere between medium and fine should do the trick. Remember though, if you're coffee grind is too fine, the water will clog and you'll have an uneven coffee extraction. Once the coffee is ground, dump it into the Kalita Wave and lightly shake to level the bed flat. A flat bed helps ensure an even extraction.

STEP 3

The next step is what we call the "bloom." A bloom is created when freshly ground coffee is saturated with hot water for the first time. Gas is released from the coffee causing the bed to rise. This is a good thing, as the gas could get in the way of proper coffee extraction. The bloom also tells us the coffee is fresh and ensures quality throughout the brew process.

To begin the bloom, add about a 1/10th of the total volume, in water. In this case we will be adding 30 grams of water to our 300 gram cup of coffee. First, start your timer and then pour. Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds and then bloom again for another 15 seconds.

STEP 4

Once your second bloom is finished, you'll want to "pulse" pour the remaining water. Pour in concentric circles little bits at a time. Try not to pour too much at a time, but also not too little. The water needs to have enough weight to flow through the coffee bed at a nice even pace. We are trying to reach a total brew time of around 4 minutes. Add water accordingly.

When you finally reach the 300 gram mark, let the rest of the water drain through and discard your filter/coffee. We like to give the coffee a little swirl before pouring. This helps blend any coffee that was extracted unevenly.

Lastly, pour your coffee and enjoy!

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LEEK & ASPARAGUS FRITTATA

It’s spring and therefore time to frequent our local farmers market. I love perusing the fruits and vegetables while taking in the scene around me. It’s quite perfect. I’m instantly inspired to go home and create a recipe around my fresh finds. Plus, seasonal fruits and vegetables are just so much tastier and that’s inspiration enough.

This spring, the asparagus caught my eye and I just knew I had to make a frittata with it. I love frittatas. They are great for when you have guests over or just to have ready to eat on throughout the week.

There is just something about the feta cheese in this dish that just goes so well with coffee. That is why this dish shows up often in our home. With that being said, Spenser and I especially loved how well the frittata went with Mariposa’s Sumatra Mandheling. The rich notes perfectly suited the bold flavor of the feta.  The full recipe can be found below.

LEEK & ASPARAGAS FRITTATA

1 cup thinly sliced leek (the white and light green parts only)

1 cup asparagus sliced into 1-inch cuts (leave out tough ends)

8 eggs

1/4 cup sour cream

2/3 cup feta

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. olive oil

Dash of salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. 2. Heat half of the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. 3. Add leek and asparagus to skillet and sauté for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, be   creating egg mixture. 4. For egg mixture, whisk together eggs, cayenne pepper, s & p and sour cream in a bowl. 5. After sautéing, add leek, asparagus and only 1/3 cup of the feta to egg mixture. 6. Mix well. 7. Heat the remaining olive oil in cast iron skillet. 8. Add egg mixture to cast iron skillet and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. 9. Transfer to oven and bake for 12 minutes or until edges are just barely browned and center is cooked all the way through. Keep a close eye on it! 10. Take out of oven and immediately sprinkle with the remaining 1/3 cup feta. 11. BREW COFFEE AND ENJOY!

Subscribe to Postal Bloom Coffee - www.postalbloom.com

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SHIRLEY'S CHERRY SCONES

The morning coffee ritual in the Sakurai household almost always starts with Thea, our Shiba pup, licking our faces to get out of bed. Spenser will usually let her out and then will proceed to start the water kettle, giving us a few extra minutes before we really have to get up. In the mornings, the water kettle acts as a snooze button in our house. We might have to hit the "snooze button" another time to re-heat the water, but usually Spenser will spring into action. He brews the coffee while I prepare our breakfast. We really like trying out new coffee and try to take the time to plan a breakfast that pairs well with our morning cup.

I wouldn't say either one of us is a true morning person, however, we both see our morning ritual as a vital part of our day. Without it, we feel the day will just fall apart. This morning ritual is what led us to the idea of Postal Bloom. We believe that slowing down and enjoying your morning coffee, as well as time with yourself or a loved one, is important for a fulfilled day.  

I got this cherry scone recipe from my grandma, Shirley, and it is definitely one of my favorites of hers. It took me awhile to recognize that my family has many traditions around baking, especially with my grandma - blueberry buckle in the summer, Texas sheet cake and homemade ice cream on the 4th of July, cut out cookies for Christmas. Even though these cherry scones are not associated with any particular holiday, they bring back special memories from my trips to Michigan to see my grandparents. 

Spenser is probably one of the pickiest when it comes to desserts, but he loved this batch of scones! They are dense, but not too sweet, with little bits of cherry deliciousness. We found that the tart note of the cherries really complimented the notes tasted in Mariposa's Ethiopia Yirgacheffe 'Z' Konga. My grandma likes to freeze the remaining scones and will set one out for a couple minutes when she's ready for another. Eating them cold might not be for everyone, but I like the texture it gives the scones. Of course, room temperature is just as delicious too. :-)

The recipe can be found below. Subscribe to this blog for more recipes, brew guides and roaster vignettes.

   SHIRLEY'S CHERRY SCONES

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar, plus extra for tops

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra for tops

1/2 cup honey

grated zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup dried cherries

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

Add cream, honey and zest. Mix well.

Fold in cherries. Mix until dough is smooth. Be sure not to over mix!

Divide dough in half and into two rounds, flatten dough, cut into 8 wedges.

Lay wedges on greased sheet.

Brush tops with a little cream and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. 

BREW COFFEE AND ENJOY!

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MARIPOSA COFFEE ROASTERY

POSTAL BLOOM PRESENTS - MARIPOSA COFFEE from Spenser Sakurai on Vimeo.

Meet Amyie and Daniel Kao, owners of Mariposa Coffee Roastery, based out of Norman, Oklahoma. Daniel first started his adventure in roasting coffee by using a stovetop popcorn popper. He was instantly obsessed with the science behind roasting coffee and started to dedicate every free moment to it. During our time visiting with Daniel and Amyie, Daniel reminisced over the days he would roast coffee after-hours out of a storage unit. Amyie laughed when she remembered his squeaky roasting cart and how smoke would waft out of the storage unit. Amyie said, “I think that was when I knew that it was more than a hobby and had the potential to be something that he would do for…forever.”

"DRINK [LOCAL] THINK [GLOBAL]"

Amyie went on to talk about how Daniel really taught her to appreciate the art of coffee and together they learned how to balance the art with the science of the roasting process. Along with this, Daniel and Amyie feel like they have a responsibility to the coffee producers to represent all their hard work. Social justice is something that drives their desire to perfect every single roast they produce. Therefore, they have made Mariposa’s philosophy “Drink Local, Think Global.” Mariposa is heavily involved in their local community and are always finding ways to give back, including free delivery to their fellow Normanites. Globally, Mariposa partnered with Water4 to put a water well in Nyaruguru, a coffee-growing region of Rwanda. This well provided 600 villagers access to clean water and Mariposa is working to build more water wells in the future. Amyie and Daniel want to do their best to do justice to the coffee they purchase. This means curating each and every detail of the roasting process, while advocating for social justice. 

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WE ARE POSTAL BLOOM COFFEE

We are Amanda and Spenser Sakurai, the founders of Postal Bloom. We are lovers of travel, camping, our dog Thea and of course coffee! We created Postal Bloom to aid others in the coffee exploration process. We believe coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up. We want to promote slowing down and appreciating your home brewed coffee. When subscribed to Postal Bloom, we will share with you three carefully selected specialty coffees from one of our favorite U.S. roasters, each month. 

Not only will you get to try unique and delicious coffee every month, but you will also get to see where your coffee comes from. There is a lot of work that goes into your cup of coffee and we believe that story needs to be told. Each month, expect plenty of online content, including roaster editorials, video portraits and coffee pairing recipes. We want to take you inside the lives of these amazing craftsmen to show you what it takes to produce an amazing cup of coffee. 

Okay, so now that you know what Postal Bloom is, we hope you’ll follow along and subscribe to taste new coffee and learn more about the ever-growing craft coffee community.

 - The Sakurais